Shipping frame

Claim 2

A shipping frame for packaging a manufactured article and the like in storage and transport, said shipping frame comprising: a pair of skeleton halves for joining together into a unitary structure and being adapted to confine the article during shipping and storage, each skeleton half including plural peripheral members joined at their ends and arranged to define the intersections of the sides of the frame; and at least one of the skeleton halves including at least one cross-brace mounting member extending between the peripheral members thereof, said at least one cross-brace mounting member being supported by said at least one skeleton half to be spaced inwardly of said frame and adapted to carry said article secured thereto and spaced inwardly of said frame, the skeleton halves each being integrally molded of structural foam material and the sides thereof being free of interconnecting material except at said members.

Claim 3

The shipping frame of claim 1 in which said skeleton halves are integrally molded of high density polyethylene structural foam thermoplastic material.

Claim 4

The shipping frame of claim 1 in which said members have cross-section shapes of right angles with strengthening ribs therein.

Claim 5

The shipping frame of claim 1 in which each skeleton half has four elongate peripheral members joined at their ends in the shape of a rectangle and there are four leg members extending from the corners thereof.

Claim 6

The shipping frame of claim 4 in which the legs members are substantially the same length.

Claim 7

The shipping frame of claim 1 in which some of the peripheral members form legs and the legs of the skeleton halves have mating interlock means to maintain the legs in registration when the skeleton halves are joined together.

Claim 8

The shipping frame of claim 6 in which said mating interlock means include one extending panel, having a notch, on each leg of the skeleton halves arranged and constructed so that the notches on corresponding legs can mate with one another.

Claim 9

The shipping frame of claim 6 in which said mating interlock means provide a notched structure on each leg member that engages corresponding notch structure of a corresponding leg at a level other than at the level of engagement of the ends of the legs.

Claim 10

The shipping frame of claim 1 in which said at least one cross-brace mounting member includes a connecting portion and opposed support portions extending from said connecting portion to said peripheral members.

Claim 11

The shipping frame of claim 1 in which said cross brace mounting member includes a mounting portion spaced inwardly from a side of the frame and support portions extending from said mounting portion to respective peripheral members for maintaining said mounting portion in said spaced position and distributing the weight of said manufactured article adapted to be carried on said mounting portion to said peripheral members.

Claim 12

The shipping frame of claim 10 in which said support portions are angled inwardly from the sides of said frame to place the material thereof in tension and torsion for absorbing forces applied to said frame in storing and transporting said manufacture article.

Claim 13

The shipping frame of claim 11 in which the other skeleton half includes snubber extensions from said cross-brace members adapted to engage and support said article.

Claim 14

The shipping frame of claim 1 in which the peripheral members of said skeleton halves include grooves adapted to receive bands for maintaining said skeleton halves joined together in a unitary structure.

Claim 15

A shipping frame for packaging a manufactured article and the like in storage and transport, said shipping frame comprising: upper and lower skeleton halves that can be joined together into a unitary structure outlining a multi-sided solid structure, said skeleton halves cooperating to confine said article during shipping and storage, the skeleton halves each including plural peripheral members joined at their ends and there being plural peripheral leg members extending therefrom, the leg members being substantially of equal length, the peripheral and leg members defining the margins of the sides of the frame, the skeleton halves further including cross-brace members extending between the peripheral members, at least one of the skeleton halves including a cross-brace mounting member extending between the peripheral members thereof, said cross-brace mounting member being supported by said peripheral members to be spaced inwardly of said frame and adapted to carry said assembly secured thereto and spaced inwardly of said frame, the skeleton halves being integrally molded of high density plastic structural foam material and the sides thereof being open and free of material except at said members.

Claim 16

A shipping frame for packaging a manufactured article and the like in storage and transport, said shipping frame comprising: upper and lower skeleton halves that can be joined together into a unitary structure outlining a multi-sided solid structure, said skeleton halves cooperating to confine said article during shipping and storage, the skeleton halves each including plural peripheral members joined at their ends and there being plural peripheral leg members extending therefrom, the leg members being substantially of equal length, the peripheral and leg members defining the margins of the sides of the frame, the skeleton halves further including cross-brace members extending between the peripheral members, at least one of the skeleton halves including a cross-brace mounting member extending between the peripheral members thereof, said cross-brace mounting member being supported by said peripheral members to be spaced inwardly of said frame and adapted to carry said assembly secured thereto and spaced inwardly of said frame, the skeleton halves being integrally molded of high density plastic structural foam material and the sides thereof being open and free of material except at said members.

Claim 17

The shipping frame of claim 14 in which said high density plastic structural foam material is polyethylene.

Claim 18

The shipping frame of claim 14 including interlock means at the end of each leg member to maintain engaged the ends of the leg members when the skeleton halves are joined together.

Claim 19

The shipping frame of claim 14 in which each said skeleton half includes leg members integrally molded therewith.

Claim 20

The shipping frame of claim 14 in which said leg members are separate from said skeleton halves and are assembled therewith.

Claim 21

The shipping frame of claim 14 in which said cross brace mounting member includes a mounting portion spaced inwardly from a side of the frame and support portions extending from said mounting portion to respective peripheral members for maintaining said mounting portion in said spaced position and distributing the weight of said manufactured article adapted to be carried on said mounting portion to said peripheral members.

Claim 22

The shipping frame of claim 14 in which said support portions are angled inwardly from the sides of said frame to place the material thereof in tension and torsion for absorbing forces aplied to said frame in storing and transporting said manufactured article.

Claim 23

A shipping frame for packaging a manufactured article and the like in storage and transport, said shipping frame comprising: upper and lower skeleton halves and plural elongate leg members that can be joined together into a unitary structure outlining a multi-sided solid structure, said skeleton halves adapted to confine said article therein, the skeleton halves each including plural peripheral members joined at their ends and said peripheral leg members being assembled to said skeleton havles to extend between said peripheral members, the length of said leg members determining the distance between said skeleton halves, the peripheral and leg members defining the margins of the sides of the frame, the skeleton halves further including cross-brace members extending between the peripheral members, at least one of the skeleton halves including a cross-brace mounting member extending between the peripheral members thereof, said cross-brace mounting member being supported by said peripheral members to be spaced inwardly of said frame and adapted to carry said assembly secured thereto and spaced inwardly of said frame, the skeleton halves being integrally molded of high density plastic structural foam material and the sides thereof being open and free of material except at said members.

Claim 24

A shipping frame for packaging a manufactured article and the like in storage and transport, said shipping frame comprising: upper and lower skeleton halves and plural elongate leg members that can be joined together into a unitary structure outlining a multi-sided solid structure, said skeleton halves adapted to confine said article therein, the skeleton halves each including plural peripheral members joined at their ends and said peripheral leg members being assembled to said skeleton havles to extend between said peripheral members, the length of said leg members determining the distance between said skeleton halves, the peripheral and leg members defining the margins of the sides of the frame, the skeleton halves further including cross-brace members extending between the peripheral members, at least one of the skeleton halves including a cross-brace mounting member extending between the peripheral members thereof, said cross-brace mounting member being supported by said peripheral members to be spaced inwardly of said frame and adapted to carry said assembly secured thereto and spaced inwardly of said frame, the skeleton halves being integrally molded of high density plastic structural foam material and the sides thereof being open and free of material except at said members.

Claim 25

The shipping frame of claim 21 in which said high density plastic structural foam material is polyethylene.

Claim 26

The shipping frame of claim 21 including snubbers that slip into slots in at least one of said skeleton halves.

Claim 27

The shipping frame of claim 21 in which said skeleton halves include slots into which said leg member can slip.

Claim 28

The shipping frame of claim 21 in which at least said leg members are molded integrally with one of said skeleton halves to extend between peripheral members thereof by runners that can be cut to sever the leg members from the peripheral members.

Claim 29

The shipping frame of claim 25 in which snubbers also are integrally molded with one of said skeleton halves to extend between peripheral members thereof by runners that can be cut to sever the snubbers from the peripheral members.

Claim 30

The shipping frame of claim 21 in which said cross brace mounting member includes a mounting portion spaced inwardly from a side of the frame and support portions extending from said mounting portion to respective peripheral members for maintaining said mounting portion in said spaced position and distributing the weight of said manufactured article adapted to be carried on said mounting poriton to said peripheral members.

Claim 31

The shipping frame of claim 27 in which said support portions are angled inwardly from the sides of said frame to place the material thereof in tension and torsion for absorbing forces applied to said frame in storing and transporting said manufactured article.

Claim 32

A shipping frame for packaging a manufactured article in storage and transport, said shipping frame comprising: A. a base skeleton formed of integrally molded peripheral base members arranged to define the outer margins of substantially the bottom side of said shipping frame; B. at least one cross-brace member integrally molded with said peripheral base members to extend therebetween, said at least one cross-brace member being supported by said base members to be spaced inwardly of said frame from said bottom side, said cross-brace member being adapted to carry said article spaced from said bottom side and distributing the weight of said article to said peripheral base members; C. a top skeleton formed of integrally molded peripheral top members arranged to define the outer margins of the top side of said shipping frame; and D. leg members extending between the base skeleton and top skeleton to space apart the base and top skeleton and to define the margin of the lateral sides of said shipping frame.

Claim 33

A shipping frame for packaging a manufactured article in storage and transport, said shipping frame comprising: A. a base skeleton formed of integrally molded peripheral base members arranged to define the outer margins of substantially the bottom side of said shipping frame; B. at least one cross-brace member integrally molded with said peripheral base members to extend therebetween, said at least one cross-brace member being supported by said base members to be spaced inwardly of said frame from said bottom side, said cross-brace member being adapted to carry said article spaced from said bottom side and distributing the weight of said article to said peripheral base members; C. a top skeleton formed of integrally molded peripheral top members arranged to define the outer margins of the top side of said shipping frame; and D. leg members extending between the base skeleton and top skeleton to space apart the base and top skeleton and to define the margin of the lateral sides of said shipping frame.

Claim 34

The shipping frame of claim 29 in which said sides of said shipping frame are free of molded material except at said members.

Claim 35

The shipping frame of claim 29 in which said skeletons are molded of structural foam material.

Claim 36

The shipping frame of claim 30 in which said structural foam material is high density polyethylene.

Claim 37

The shipping frame of claim 29 in which said cross brace mounting member includes a mounting portion adapted to carry said article and that is spaced inwardly from the bottom side of the frame, said cross brace mounting member further including support portions extending from said mounting poriton to respective peripheral base members for maintaining said mounting portion in said spaced position and distributing the weight of said manufactured article to said peripheral members.

Claim 38

The shipping frame of claim 33 in which said support portions are angled inwardly from the sides of said frame to place the material thereof in tension and torsion for absorbing forces applied to said frame in storing and transporting said manufactured article.

Claim 39

The shipping frame of claim 34 in which said support portions extend below the peripheral base members to terminate in feet adapted to rest upon a support surface and forming openings therebetween, said openings being adapted to receive the tines of a fork lift truck.

Claim 40

The shipping frame of claim 35 in which the base skeleton includes plates of molded material extending between the feet to rest on said support surface and define a lower margin of said openings.

Claim 41

The shipping frame of claim 29 in which each of said leg members include a lower and upper portion, all of the lower portions of the leg members being integrally molded with the base skeleton and all of the upper portions of the leg members being integrally molded with the top skeleton.

Claim 42

The shipping frame of claim 29 in which said leg members are separate from said base and top skeletons and are assembled thereto.

Claim 43

The shipping frame of claim 38 in which said base skeleton includes upward facing cups receiving the bottom ends of said leg members to provide lateral support to said shipping frame.

Claim 44

The shipping frame of claim 38 in which said top skeleton includes depending studs engaging with the top ends of said leg members to provide lateral support to said shipping frame.

Claim 45

The shipping frame of claim 1 in which there are leg members separate from said skeleton halves and joined to extend between said skeleton halves in said unitary structure.

Claim 46

The shipping frame of claim 21 in which said lower skeleton includes upward facing cups for receiving the bottom ends of said leg members to provide lateral support to said shipping frame.

Claim 47

The shipping frame of claim 21 in which said upper skeleton includes depending studs for engaging with the top ends of said leg members to provide lateral support to said shipping frame.